1. Field of the Invention
Due to the regulations and requirements for minimizing air pollution from vehicles burning gasoline the vehicle manufacturers have provided engines with means for returning mixtures of various exhaust gases and air to the inlet systems preceding the carburetors. This system unfortunately causes fouling of the fuel and inlet system and tends to increase concentrations of unburned hydrocarbons in the exhaust gases thereby defeating the purposes of the regulation of air pollution. Additionally, the gasoline manufacturers have attempted to counteract the fouling of the engine parts by incorporating compounds with detergent properties in the fuel. These fuels contain not only detergent compounds for the improvement of combustion but a variety of other additives such as those employed for preventing icing, that is, anti-icing agents, antioxidants, metal deactivating agents and other of a similar nature. Because of the various additives which are now deemed necessary in gasoline fuel new problems of water emulsion have arisen during the process of temperature changes which may occur within large storage tanks. Water condensation occurs and causes water to be mixed in with the gasoline fuel. This in turn, due to the additives which are present, creates emulsion problems between the gasoline with the various additives and the water. The emulsions in turn create combustion problems and furthermore can cause freezing of fuel lines for the hapless motorist. In addition, water may reduce the effectiveness of these additives by the emulsion formation.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The prior art is replete with disclosures of motor fuel additives and/or lubricants. Among these are U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,800,400; 2,841,479; 2,844,448; 2,844,449; 2,844,451, and most recently 3,951,614.
Also a number of patents have issued which disclose the use of surfactants for demulsification of either petroleum oil or gasoline or fuel emulsions. Among these are U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,098,827; 3,424,565; and 3,752,675.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,098,827 discloses the use of surface active compounds which are dicarboxylic acid esters of one or more different polyhydroxy compounds at least one of which is an oxyalkylated partial ester of monocarboxylic acids and pentaerythritol or condensation derivatives thereof such as dipentaerythritol and tripentaerythritol.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,424,565 discloses the use of surface active agents which contain phenol formaldehyde condensation products.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,752,675 discloses the use of a demulsifier which is an ethyleneoxy modified methylene bridged polyphenol.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,756,793 discloses the use of polyoxyalkylene glycols as gasoline additives in order to aid in the combustion. None of the prior art discloses specifically the compounds of the instant invention.